STUFF I LOVE

This is the studio wall of someone who was afraid of color
just a few years ago.

I have gotten rid of a lot, but none of the wonderful gifts + trades (+ a few purchases) from many of you out there.

One of my Christmas gifts was Season 1 of Pushing Daisies. I did not see the entire first season so I have been savoring every last scene + all the glorious color! Mom + dad also replaced my non-Criterion edition of Bottle Rocket. Yay! now it can join it's other Wes Anderson Criterion friends.

From my brother I got a set of folding bike baskets (super sweeeeet) to replace the milk crate I was bunging to the rack. It's been unseasonably warm + I might get to put them to use earlier than I expected. Next on my bike wish list is a generator light.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday surrounded by those you love.

MORE GOOD "STUFF"

At last spring's TACA crafts show Susan Smith probably could have had Beth + I arrested for stalking. With so much pottery at craft shows Susan's work stood out + not only did I absolutely fall in love with her designs + colors, but she's a pretty darn nice person too.
She is so nice, in fact, that she sent me one of her bowls,
just because.

Thank you Susan!

SOME GOOD "STUFF"

While going through + getting rid of more stuff, I came across my
very small collection of very small zines. My favorites are these two by Crashlander. They are about field trips to The La Brea Tar Pits (what a crappy website for such a cool place) + the aquarium, places I went to on school field trips .

AND after watching Jeunet + Caro's Delicatessen I really can't figure out exactly WHY I waited so long. I fell in love with all the quirky characters, the art direction + the devices. Rent it, you won't regret it + you will also see elements of their later films, The City of Lost Children + of course Amelie.

STUFF:

{a newly cleaned corner of my studio}

I wrestle with it. I don't like a lot of stuff around me, it makes me feel claustrophobic. I like CLEAN SURFACES (thank you Eddy for that mantra). The problem is I find that I am surrounded by stuff that I think I need, but really don't.

New + really exciting things are in store for us in January. I just don't want to feel like I'm being weighed down by stuff that I should let go.

This bit always makes me laugh.
Enjoy.

SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND

(sorry, I could not resist that title)

Watch your fingers because after finding this nifty little corner rounder at a yard sale I want to cut, cut, cut everything.

I know, one man's trash, bla, bla, but I am always amazed at what people don't want (although I can certainly understand the 52 million discarded country craft crap kitchen ducks I come across). Well, luckily there are tons of really great discarded objects that get united with the right people.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
And now for the second part of my post, which will hopefully unite someone in need of all my unwanted bubble mailers.

I have 18 previously used, but all completely re-usable size 3, 4 + 5 bubble mailers that need a home. If you can use these for your shipping needs please leave a comment + make sure I have your contact information. I will ship free within the US, I just want to prevent them from going into a landfill.

Happy Sunday (the sun is shining!!!!!)

LONG WALK

We have been taking alot of walks lately (+ documenting them here). Today's walk was an unintentional 6 mile one. We wanted to see where the greenway extension through our town ended, so we all bundled up + hit the muddy road.

Along the way we found this old ramshackle house.

FOGGY FOGGY NIGHT

A good night for a long walk with Monk + my boy.

IT'S A BIT GLOOMY 'ROUND HERE

I am not gloomy, but this is the time of year when all the trees look like skeletons + the sky is perpetually grey. Lots of rain, which turns into ice, which makes walking to work a bit challenging. The other day I was singing "Slip Sliding Away" by Paul Simon.
You know the nearer your destination (work)
The more you're slip sliding away (+ trying not to fall on your ass).

Needing a little light + color I rented The Fall (which I have picked up + put back on the shelf at the video store several times). I am so glad I finally gave this movie a chance because I completely fell in love with the story (the little girl!) + the visuals were absolutely stunning!

The movie stars Lee Pace + lately I'm feeling like I need a little more Ned, The Pie Maker. Tonight is the last airing of Pushing Daisies in it's regular time slot. With 3 episodes remaining, it looks like ABC will air them all at once sometime in January.
A friend pointed out that Kath + Kim is STILL on (boo-hiss).

Later: After reading this interview with the director of The Fall I need to rent it again + listen to the director + cast commentary. I just can't stop thinking about this movie, it truly was amazing.

WHERE DID LAST WEEK GO?

This last week was a blur, filled with
*Gift shopping
*Cleaning

(I'm on a cleaning/ organizing kick, which includes computer files)

*Christmas decorating

(we decorated a small rosemary plant which I will put in the garden after Christmas)

*Searching for size 9 round needles so I can knit this hat
*Watching Unaccompanied Minors (because it was directed by Paul Feig)
*Watching The Dark Knight (disturbing, really disturbing)

*Another Christmas party + a Christmas recital

(Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer was played 5 times!)

And there was soup #8
which I made with the "use what I have" approach.

Pureed banana squash + silken tofu

Chopped + sauteed onion, garlic + 1 peeled apple
Cannelloni beans

2 vegan fake-o chicken bouillon cubes

1 package frozen corn

Pav Bhaji Masala spices

What it looks like is egg drop soup, what it tastes like is yummyness (sweet + spicy with the sweet squash + corn + spicy, um, spices). My boy said he liked soup #6a better (it's more hearty) but given that I had all the ingredients + there was no need for a trip to the grocery store- this was a winner!

A SOUP SO NICE I MADE IT TWICE

More Matzo Ball soup this week
because I just did not get enough last week.
So many good soup recipes out there, I should expand my repertoire.

With this year's crafts shows over,
I can breathe a bit + knit a 4-color sup-a dup-a long skarf

It took me no time to fill all 10 drawers of my new flat file cabinet.

For those of you out there who watch Gossip Girl, wasn't tonight's episode the best? For those of you on the west coast...
just you wait, it's juicy goooood.

PARTY-PARTY-TAG

Our dojo shares space with a dance studio + both had their year end/ Christmas parties last night. The first one involved lots of Trader Joe's food (AH! so great to have TJ's nibblies at parties again) + the second involved Merengue!!!!! + vodka (mixed with sparkling TJ's drinks left over from the first party).

Erin @ Operation Paper Cut tagged me with
5 “unimportant” things that make me happy.

1. A new episode of a TV show I regularly watch.
2. The My Year Of Flops column on the AV Club site.
3. Finding cool stuff on curbs.
4. The perfect coffee-to-soy milk ratio.
5. Lastly, I'm going to have to go with CHEDDAR BUNNIES!!!!!

CHILLY WALK

We all bundled up this morning for a walk in the older industrial part of town. Lots to explore, including the metal recycling center which has what appears to be a Chandler & Price "New Series" platen press (they were closed + I could not get close enough to take a picture).

,

SOMETIMES...

A girl just needs a new pair of boots for Fall.

If you are counting down the last episodes of Pushing Daisies,
there are only 6 left. Boo hoo, sniffle, sniffle.

SOUP-A-WEEK #7 (my favorite soup)

I can't believe it has taken me this long to make my favorite soup. I must have been too distracted by all the squash displayed at the entrance to the grocery store.

Matzo Ball Soup*

Base

Lots of chopped + sauteed onion, garlic, celery + carrots
As veggies become soft, add enough water to cover + 2 bullion cubes**. Simmer for about an hour.
Add more water, filling pot approx 2/3 to 3/4, bring to boil

Add

2 packages of matzo ball mix

(I add dried basil to the mix, otherwise follow directions on package)

1 package whole wheat noodles

*Like chicken noodle soup, many people have their favorite recipe for making matzo ball soup. I prefer hearty soups (those of you out there who have ever shared a meal with me know I love to eat) so I like to add as much veggies as I can. Traditionally this soup is made with chicken, but since I don't eat chicken, it's vegetarian (but not vegan since you add eggs to the matzo mix).
**I found some really great fake-o chicken bullion cubes, but vegetable ones are good too.